


Ain't So Easy

by LaLainaJ



Series: Make Some Noise [106]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: 25DaysofKlaroline, Actor!Klaus, Alternate Universe - Human, Celebrities, Director!Caroline, F/M, Paparazzi, Phone Calls & Telephones, Post-Break Up, for now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 02:22:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9102274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLainaJ/pseuds/LaLainaJ
Summary: Klaus has been drowining his sorrows post suprise dumping. Caroline's about the last person he'd have expected to be calling him in the middle of the night. The call turns out to be illuminating in several ways.





	

**Ain't So Easy**

**(Prompt: klaroline + "we broke up and I am making a fool out of myself so the media focus on me instead of you, so they might think I am the one who broke up with you. Even though I do hope you'll take me back" maybe? Title from "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" by Jack Johnson. Rated K+)**

He's awoken by the insistent ringing of his phone, loud and shrill from the pillow next to his head. He'd tried to ignore it but it just won't _stop_. Klaus grabs for it but only manages to shove it off the bed. He groans, squeezing his eyes shut and feels relief when the incessant ringing finally ceases.

He's fairly certain it's the middle of the night and entirely positive that he's still drunk. Not in a fit state to talk with anyone.

Klaus gropes for the blanket he'd kicked off at some point, planning on burrowing into it and not emerging for at least another 8 to 10 hours.

 _Unfortunately_ whoever is trying to contact him has other ideas.

His phone starts up again, all the more annoying with the slight echo it makes having landed in the narrow crevice between his side table and his bed. Heaving himself over he shoves his arm down, groping around until his fingers brush glass. He yanks it up, starring fuzzily at the screen.

It takes a second for the letters to arrange themselves into something recognizable and when they do Klaus wonders if this is a particularly vivid dream.

Caroline Forbes is calling him.

 _After_ making it clear that she had no desire to continue their _personal_ relationship though she'd told him that she trusted they could continue to have a cordial professional one. They would have a movie to promote in a year or so, after all. Couldn't have the public thinking there was friction between the director and her leading man.

Now why, Klaus wondered fuzzily, could she possibly be calling him at the _very_ un-businesslike hour of 3:42 AM?

He clears his throat before answering though it still sounds like he'd swallowed gravel, "Morning, love. To what do I owe the pleasure? Surely you can't miss me that much already?"

He hears her blow out a breath, "Shit. I forgot about the time difference. Sorry, Klaus. But…"

She feels genuinely bad for disturbing him, Klaus can tell. But there's an edge in her voice that he doesn't like. He recognizes it. Caroline had been under a ton of pressure helming her first studio film. She'd been subject to plenty to scrutiny from the people whose money she was spending, made to justify choices running the gamut from budgetary to artistic. It had weighed on her more than once, her posture becoming tense and smile brittle after she'd walked away from a meeting or a drawn out call.

Klaus had always done his best to distract her. With jokes and taunts if they were on set and being observed. Privately, he hadn't needed to use words, had delighted in making her lose the ability to formulate any coherent ones of her own.

Klaus pushes himself into a sitting position against his headboard, wincing at the stab of pain in his head. He makes a mental note to swallow a couple painkillers before going back to sleep, hopes his foresight will serve him well in the morning.

At least he wasn't set to meet with his new trainer, begin the punishing fitness regime for an upcoming sci fi project, until next week.

"It's fine. I'm awake now, what do you need, Caroline?"

"People _know_ , Klaus."

Admittedly he's not at his best but, wracking his brain, Klaus has no idea what she's talking about. Really, it could be any number of things. "I'm going to need more information if you expect me to help you, love."

Her sigh is louder, far more exasperated. " _Someone_ on set sold us out, Klaus. A gossip site posted a couple pics that pretty clearly infer that we were together and a bunch of others are running with it. I had a dozen freaking paparazzi staking out my condo when I got home. I do _not_ want to deal with that, okay? It's why I…"

The snap of her teeth as she cuts herself off is audible, as is her shaky inhale and Klaus can't help latching on to the unfinished sentence. "Why you _what_?"

She'd broken up with him over a glass of wine in the bar of the hotel they'd been staying at whilst on location. It had been the day before they'd officially wrapped, Caroline had been calm and sweetly gentle when informing him that while she'd had a great time getting to know him and thought he was generally awesome (her words, immediately followed by "When you're not acting like you think you're Emperor of the Universe or being a stubborn pain in my ass.") she was too busy to start anything real. She'd gone on to cite the editing process for the film that she needed to oversee, that she'd be busy afterwards looking for another project, and that it just wouldn't work with Klaus set to start shooting in London shortly.

Perhaps he should have questioned her elaborate list of reasons sooner.

At the time Klaus had genuinely been dumfounded, having _thought_ things between them were progressing nicely, and more than a little hurt. He'd been completely unwilling to show it, had clinked his glass with hers and made a toast to, "Time well spent," and managed to politely chat with her about the scripts they were both perusing at the moment.

Later he'd treated himself to something stronger, grateful that he'd wrapped shooting already and was just hanging around for the cast and crew party and that he'd not need to actually work in the morning.

He'd also been there for Caroline though that had no longer been relevant. He'd _planned_ to entice her to take a quick trip somewhere warm with him, a small getaway before they both got slammed with work to solidify things between them and work out how they'd manage the distance going forward.

At least, judging from the pictures on her Instagram, Rebekah was enjoying herself at the private villa he'd booked in St. Lucia.

Caroline's silent on the other end. He thinks he hears movement, can easily picture her pacing in aggravation at what he imagines she views as an unfortunate slip. "Caroline," he prods, a touch impatiently.

She grumbles something inaudible.

"Use your words, sweetheart," he coaxes, injecting enough condescension into them to make her annoyed. Caroline was always more honest when her temper flared.

"You're a dick," she mutters and Klaus finds himself smiling. Mission accomplished and words begin spilling out of her. "And you're also super famous. I google stalked the crap out of you before deciding to offer you the part, you know. Asked around. Wanted to make sure there was nothing too skeleton-y and awful that would make you a PR risk."

He'd assumed as much. Caroline liked to be prepared. "And? Evidently I came up clean enough, did I not?"

"Kind of a lush in your downtime, not one to turn down a pretty girl who makes you an offer, known to occasionally butt heads with screenwriters because you like to mix things up during takes. That's the gist of what I got. Nothing too nasty and all things I knew I could roll with as a director so long as you showed up looking pretty and ready to nail your lines."

"As a director," Klaus repeats, a hint of understanding dawning. "But not as more than that?"

"Klaus…" her hesitance is clear even with the vast distance separating him.

"Tell me the truth, Caroline. Was I only fun to you? A bit of convenient stress relief? That's perfectly fine, and it's not as if I didn't get anything out of it. _But_ if it was more than that I'd quite like to know."

"Klaus, come on. You _have_ to know it was more than that. I'm not the actor here."

She sounds defeated and while Klaus doesn't enjoy it in the slightest he needs _more_. "Do I? Because you tried very hard to convince me otherwise the last time we spoke."

Her explanation comes quickly, every word clipped and forceful. "Listen, I started off as a drama major, okay? Teen me dreamed of magazine covers and stardom and my name in lights. Things change and that's not what I fell in love with at school. I've worked really freaking hard to get to where I am and I _don't_ want to be written off as Klaus Mikaelson's latest arm candy."

"You wouldn't be…"

She cuts him off with a bitter laugh, "I would be. It's already starting. Apparently you got bored of me, dumped me and took off. They're saying you aren't into women who attempt to call the shots. That you're looking to rekindle things with Katerina Petrova now that she's broken off her engagement with that baseball player."

Klaus' eyes close in aggravation. He and Katerina did not even _like_ one another, had often nearly come to blows the one time they'd worked together. If he never had to be in the same room as her again he would be delighted.

Additionally gossip sites remained _completely_ idiotic. Katherine's public image was carefully managed but she was far from docile or accommodating.

Caroline's rant continues, "And now I've got a pack of gross dudes with cameras shouting at me from my front lawn about putting my side of the story out there. All because you when you just _had_ to be stupidly charming and distracting and _persistent_."

"Just a few of my many fine qualities," he jokes lightly. Caroline's only answer is another noise of frustration and he sobers quickly. "I'm sorry, Caroline. For the gossip nonsense, I mean." Apologizing for pursuing her was not something Klaus was willing to do.

"It's not your fault," she admits, only slightly grudging. "I'll happily murder whoever was sneaking pictures of us once I find out who they are. I just thought you should know. Be prepared for your own photo happy stalkers though you must be at least _kind_ of used to it by now. God knows I saw enough pictures of you that you seemed to have no idea were being taken when I was researching."

"My place is private, excellent security. It shouldn't be a problem."

"Yeah, I might have to look into an upgrade. _After_ I cross my fingers that this movie does well so I can afford it."

"I know several places near L.A. that you could stay," Klaus offers. "If things get to be too much." He knows how invasive photogs can be, hates that Caroline is dealing with them now, mostly alone.

"I might go hide out at Bonnie's. She's on tour and I have spare keys. Her community is gated so that would keep the worst of the press away. Thanks for the offer. You really don't have to be so nice to me, you know. I _did_ dump you last week. And, you know, woke you up at an ungodly time to whine about my problems."

Klaus makes his next offer impulsively, but Caroline's confessions had shifted a few things for him. He'd been morose lately, drinking to forget her, but that's done. He'd succeeded before despite Caroline's attempts to brush him off. Now that he knew she'd felt something for him he sees no reason not to continue his pursuit. Just more carefully this time. "It's not a problem, love. Feel free to call me and vent any time, day _or_ night."

"Really?" she asks skeptically. "You sure about that? I bet you can imagine that I need to vent _often_ even when I'm not working on a project that could possibly make my career."

"Positive. I think we should be friends, Caroline. And, given we'll be on opposite sides of the ocean for at least the next six months, it's not as if there will be anyone to get wind of it and harass you. Regarding the film there's no _possible_ about it. It's brilliant."

"Biased," she sing songs.

"Would you like to bet on it?" Klaus challenges.

"Um, you have way more money than me Mr. Got My First BAFTA At Age 21."

"I wasn't thinking money, love. We'll wager… a task. Of the winner's choosing. I bet that the film will be well received. Plus 70% on that silly tomato website you're so fond of."

"What kind of task?" she presses, a hint of suspicion evident.

Rather smart of her.

"I can't possibly decide now, can I? Not as sleep deprived as I am."

That finally draws a soft laugh from her and Klaus gives himself a mental pat on the back. "I suppose it's a bet then. I do reserve the right to veto anything too weird."

"Offensive," Klaus drawls. "What could I ask of you that was 'weird'?"

She makes a noise of disbelief, "Please, I know that you're _plenty_ imaginative, Klaus. I'm sure you could think of something."

"You never complained about my imagination before," Klaus points out. He manages to say it fairly neutrally, resists the urge to sway the conversation in a more sexual direction.

He's optimistic that there will be time for that down the line and he'd hate to only have to _imagine_ the spark in her eyes, or the blush to her creamy skin, if he hinted at some of the nights they'd spent together where sleep had been the last thing on their minds.

Caroline's own imagination had been _far_ from lacking much to Klaus' delight.

"Not the point," she tosses back though there's no real censure in it. "I should let you go back to bed. Sorry, again, for waking you up. And I'm sorry if I uh… woke anyone else up."

Was that a spark of jealousy he heard? How promising.

"You did not," he informs her. "And I meant it when I said I didn't want you to be sorry. I have an idea or two that should alleviate the interest on you."

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to," Klaus tells her firmly, unwilling to listen to any more arguments.

First he'd look up the articles Caroline had mentioned, figure out exactly what he was dealing with.

Then he'd need to call up his publicist. Marcel was forever hinting that it might be good for Klaus' image to settle down, had indicated the same in a more friendly way over off the clock shared drinks. He liked Caroline quite a bit so he imagined that, once Klaus stated his intentions, he could get Marcel on board and get him to drop a hint or two that Klaus was _far_ from ready to move on from Caroline.

It was only the truth.

Caroline didn't want to be an afterthought, wanted to make her own name, and Klaus respected that, had been genuine when he said that he thought the movie they'd just wrapped would do it and open a whole host of doors for her.

Perhaps _then_ she'd be willing to re-examine her feelings about starting something a touch more long lasting with him. He hoped she'd take him up on his offer, that they could work on a friendship. It would be a foundation that Klaus intended to build upon. He genuinely enjoyed talking to Caroline, found her clever and witty and just biting enough to be interesting. He thought she felt similarly, hoped that would help her come round to wanting to be with him more than she feared what that would entail.

If things went well over the phone it would be perfectly reasonable for Klaus to invite a friend to his very private estate outside London, wasn't it? Caroline would likely need to unwind after she finished the gruelling editing process. He'd consider which guest bedroom would best suit her tastes.

Even if she refused they _would_ inevitably be thrown together on a press tour and Klaus was confident that when the time came he could make a case - one even Caroline and her infinite stubbornness wouldn't be able to argue with - in person.

Klaus could be _very_ patient when his end goal was worth it.


End file.
